


Line of Fire

by YoruNoTenshi (TVXQmamacita)



Category: SHINee
Genre: Drama, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Suspense
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-22
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-25 06:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3800812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVXQmamacita/pseuds/YoruNoTenshi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It started out as a routine trip to the bank. But it turned into a nightmare when the bank is put under lockdown, and the five boys of SHINee find themselves in the middle of a bank robbery.</p><p>No one had expected for the robbery to go wrong...</p><p>...but if there's one thing to expect, it's that someone will leave in a body bag.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was SHINee's favorite day of the month.

Payday.

It seemed as though they had come at the wrong time, though. The line was long, and the boys had come to the bank almost forty five minutes before closing time. The boys almost didn't want to deposit their checks today, seeing as how they'd have a long, unnecessary wait in line. But they figured that since they had already made the trip, they might as well stay, no matter how much they hated it.

"Hey Kibum," Jonghyun called out, watching Key as he was muttering instructions into Taemin's ear. "I think by now, Taemin can fill out his own deposit slip."

Key made a face, showing slight annoyance, before focusing back on Taemin, who didn't seem to mind Key's help at all as he filled out the last of the required information. 

"Key Umma," Taemin said. "Do you still have candy left?" he asked once his slip had been filled out.

Key nodded. At set of their music video, a few snacks and refreshments were brought in. After seeing a bowl of their favorite chewy candies, Key took it upon himself to take a handful and shove some candy into his pocket before they left. Key reached into his pocket, handing Taemin a piece.

"Can I have one?" Minho asked, putting his hand out.

Onew just looked at his dongsaengs. "If Manager Hyung finds out that we took extra candy from the studio-"

"He won't find out," Jonghyun said, cutting him off, wanting a piece of candy as well.

"Oh hey, the line's moving," Taemin announced.

The five boys moved forward, but the sound of several loud bangs made them freeze, searching for the source of the threatening noise. It couldn't have been what they thought it was, could it?

All of SHINee turned to the door, only to see three men standing there.

Three masked men with guns.

Their eyes widened at the sight, and they seemed frozen in place. "Oh no," Minho whispered, already knowing what was going to happen. It was a nightmare come true.

And that's when the chaos began.

They all watched as people began running, screaming, and crying. More gunshots were heard as the men tried to get everyone to pay attention to them. The few people that tried to run out of the bank, only ended up with a gun pointed to their faces before they froze dead in their tracks.

"NOBODY MOVE!" one of the robbers yelled, obviously annoyed at everyone's failed attempts to save themselves. 

When everyone became silent, one of the robbers began speaking again. "Now, if everybody cooperates, this can go smoothly," he said, as if he were trying to reassure the frightened people. "Everybody on the floor. Take out your phones and put them in front of you."

The boys quickly got on the ground. Onew gave his dongsaengs a look.  _Don't argue. Don't question. Just listen to what he says._ He watched in satisfaction as they all took their phones out and placed it on the floor. He was thankful that they didn't hesitate in following the robber's command. The more they cooperated, this smoother this would all be. He was sure of it.

Minho looked to the door. Nothing was more tempting at the moment than for him to just tell his fellow band mates to run out. They were all athletic and fast. They could make it. But the thought of putting  one of them in danger made Minho think twice. He couldn't do it. He sighed as he leaned his back against the wall.

"What's going to happen?" Taemin asked in a low voice to no one in particular. He knew how painfully obvious that question was. 

His question was answered shortly.

"Hey boss," one of the bank robbers yelled out, dragging a man by his collar. "I caught this one trying to call the police."

"Oh really?" the man in charge replied. 

There was a gunshot, and the hostage dropped to the floor, dead. Several screams were heard, five of them coming from SHINee.

"Anyone else want to play hero?" the bank robber asked as he looked around. When he didn't get a response from the frightened crowd, he nodded. "Good. Let this be a lesson for you. Do as I say, and everyone walks out safely." He turned towards one of his companions. "Pick up everyone's phones," he ordered the other robber. He turned back his attention to his captive audience, scanning each and everyone of their faces before the sight of five scared boys caught his eyes. "Look what we have here," he announced. "Is that SHINee?"

Their eyes widened as the man got closer and closer to them. Minho moved closer to Taemin, seeing as how the man crouched down right in front of the maknae. "Hm," he said. "So it is SHINee." He brought a hand to Taemin's face, which the younger one quickly tried to move away from. "This looks like my lucky day," the man said as he took the boys' phones and got up.


	2. Chapter 2

"You," the leader, who was later found out to be called, Young Soo, said to the female clerk behind the counter. "Get out from back there. And don't even think about pressing the panic button."

The girl quickly obeyed, bringing her shaky hands up and slowly walking from her original position to join the rest of the hostages, kneeling on the floor with the rest of her fellow bank employees.

It was clear that everyone was still shaken by the dead hostage. Key's eyes were unintentionally glued to the man who laid dead on the floor. The dead man was supposed to the the "example" for everyone else. Disobey and die. These robbers meant business, and they were probably willing to shoot more people if it meant getting what they wanted.

Key knew he had to be careful, for the sake of himself and for the sake of the rest of SHINee.

Jonghyun noticed Key's distress. His eyes were wide and it was clear that several panicked thoughts were racing through his head. "Key," Jonghyun whispered as he put his hand on the diva's shoulder, causing Key to jump in surprise. "Sorry," Jonghyun quickly apologized. He was just as shaken up as Key was, if not more.

Key turned his head to face Jonghyun. "It's okay," he replied before sighing, stealing another look at the dead hostage. "I just-"

"Stop looking over there," Jonghyun commanded. "It only makes it worse."

Key nodded. "They just shot him... Just like that." He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"I know," Jonghyun replied with a sigh. "But I'm serious. Don't think about...you know...it's not gonna help you."

"Okay," Key replied. He couldn't argue with Jonghyun's words. "I'll-"

"Hey!" One of the other robbers yelled. He was the one called Dae Jung. Key and Jonghyun watched with wide eyes as he approached them, gun in hand. "What are you two talking about?"

Key shook his head. "Nothing," he answered.

The older man scoffed. "You two were obviously planning something." He paused to glare at them before an evil smile crossed his face. "You don't want to end up like our unlucky hostage, do you?" He asked, knowing how much that would scare them.

"Hey!" Onew yelled at the man, not fearing the consequences. As of now, all he could think about was how angry he was. Key and Jonghyun weren't doing anything, clearly, yet the older man felt the need to threaten and bully them. "They were just talking so leave them alone." He glared at the man, trying his best to not look afraid. On the inside, Onew was pleading for the man to leave his dongsaengs alone. He was scared to death. If any one of them got killed, Onew would probably never recover.

With a cocky smile, the man started to come closer to Onew. Onew didn't let his brave wall collapse. He still continued to glare at the man.

"That's cute," the man said. "Trying to be the fearless leader, I see."

Onew didn't reply. He just clenched his fists, trying his best to not do something rash.

Minho and Taemin watched the exchange, fearful of what was to happen next. Key and Jonghyun watched full of guilt. They would hate themselves if something happened to Onew because of them.

Dae Jung scoffed. "Give me one good reason to not kill one of you."

Onew finally spoke up, swallowing the lump in his throat. For his dongsaengs, he had to be strong. "They weren't doing anything. There's no need to threaten them like that."

"You think I should believe that your friends are innocent just because you said so?" Dae Jung asked.

"I'm not asking you to believe everything I say," Onew replied. "But it's painfully obvious that those two weren't doing anything!" Onew hadn't realized how loud he had become until he saw the angry expression on Dae Jung's face.

"Shut up, kid," the robber said before hitting Onew's head with the butt of his gun.

"Hyung!" Onew heard his dongsaengs scream, but he couldn't respond. He held his head as he groaned in pure agony. 

"Just because you boys are idols doesn't mean I'll give you any special treatment," the robber said as he watched the rest of SHINee tend to their leader.

"We weren't expecting special treatment!" Minho angrily replied. "But we _do_ expect you to not hurt us when we haven't done anything!"

"Minho-ah," Onew grunted once the dizziness passed. "Don't...I'm fine."  _But your yelling is making my head pound even more._

Minho sighed, glaring at Dae Jung before turning his full attention back to Onew.

"Smart leader," the older man replied with a smirk.

Everyone tried to ignore him. Minho especially, who tried with all his might to hold back all the angry words rolling through his mind. With a heavy sigh, he shook all thoughts of killing Dae Jung from his head and focused on Onew.

"Is he bleeding?" Jonghyun asked, gently touching the back of Onew's head. Jonghyun sighed in relief when he felt that Onew's head was still dry.

"He wasn't hit hard enough to give Hyung a concussion," Key announced, relief evident in his voice as he checked Onew's eyes.

"Guys, I'm fine," Onew whined as he watched his assaulter carry on with his business. "Don't worry about me. I'm just glad he didn't hurt anyone of you guys." He stole a glance at Taemin and sent the younger one a reassuring smile, noticing how quiet the younger one was being. "Tae, don't be scared, okay? We'll all be fine."

Taemin nodded. "I know," he quietly replied. "I just didn't want you to get hurt."

Onew smiled. "And I didn't want you to get hurt, either." He reached over and grabbed Taemin's hand. "Better me than you."

"Hyung," Jonghyun said. "We're so sorry."

Onew shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry for," he responded kindly. "That guy's just a jerk."

"But still," Key cut in. "He wouldn't have done that if it wasn't for us."

Onew shook his head. "He would have found another reason to hurt one of us anyway. Just relax. My head's already starting to feel better."

Key sighed, intently studying Onew before he finally gave in and let the subject go for now.

"How long have we been here?" Jonghyun asked.

"About half an hour," Key answered. "Why?"

"What are they waiting for?" Jonghyun asked. "By now they should be demanding their money."

Minho shook his head. "It doesn't work that way, Hyung."

Jonghyun gave him a confused look.

"The safe can only be opened during certain times of the day," Minho explained. "They're probably still waiting for that."

Key shook his head. "I'm not going to ask how you know stuff like that."

Minho shrugged his shoulders before smiling proudly. He and the others didn't have to wait for too long. Fifteen minutes later, things began to change.

"Hyung," Taemin said to Minho. "They're locking the doors."

Minho's head snapped up to the direction of the front door, where he saw the last of the robbers, Jae Hwa chaining the door. "It's time," Minho finally whispered to Taemin. "Just don't pay attention to them right now. We'll be out of here soon. I guarantee it." Though those words were meant to comfort Taemin, Minho couldn't help but feel a bit reassured by his words as well.

Taemin sighed as he noticed the bank robbers gathering together in front of their captive audience.

"So here's how it'll go," Young Soo began. "If we get the code to the safe...this can go by much quicker."

There was silence. Several people began to turn their heads, glancing at all the bank employees. It was their way of begging for help. The five boys of SHINee all glanced at the workers as well, hoping the employees' cooperation would be their salvation. At the same time, they knew that their release wouldn't be that easy.

"Well?" Young Soo asked impatiently. 

"We don't know the code. Th-the only people that know the code are the managers," one male bank employee finally spoke up. Onew's shoulders slumped. Of course something like this would happen.

Young Soo's eyebrows perked up as he began to walk closer to the man. "And where are these managers?"

The man swallowed. "The manager is at a meeting right now," he began. "And the assisstent manager is on maternity leave."

Young Soo scoffed, shaking his head. "Well that's just convenient, isn't it?" he asked sarcastically. Though this would seem like a setback, Young Soo was completely unphased. "I hope your trusty managers know the horrible predicament they've put you all in." A small smile appeared on his face. "I'm patient...and I say that we aren't leaving until that safe is open." He looked at the bank employees. "Would anyone of you like to make a phone call?"


	3. Chapter 3

Taemin jumped in surprise as another hostage was practically thrown in his direction, forced to sit down next to the startled maknae.

It was amazing how calm the man was, seeing as how everyone else was scared out of their minds. Taemin didn't fail to notice the occasional glances the man was giving him. It wasn't helping the situation at all. The maknae was just growing even more nervous as seconds passed. 

This man was planning something, Taemin just didn't know what.

The man looked around the bank, watching everyone's move.

Taemin mentally face palmed. If this guy was trying to do something sneaky, he was horrible at it.

"Hey kid," he whispered to Taemin, causing the younger one to jump. "Can you hide this for me?" he asked as he pulled out a phone from his pocket.

Taemin looked at the object with wide eyes. How was that man able to sneak this past the robbers?

"Min," Key's voice suddenly cut into the conversation. "What are you doing?" He wasn't sure what this man wanted, but Key did  _not_ want Taemin to be involved.

Taemin swallowed as he turned to face his angry sounding umma. He was met with the four faces of his hyungs, all giving him questioning looks.

"Ph-phone," Taemin tried to explain in a way that wouldn't cause Key to freak out, though he was failing miserably.

"He just needs to hold it for a while," the man tried to explain to the rest of them, feeling each and everyone of them glaring at him in suspicion.

"Are you trying to get Taemin killed?" Jonghyun asked angrily, trying to be careful not to be too loud.

The man shook his head. "I've already called the cops," the man continued to say. "I just need him to hold this for a while, okay?"

Taemin slowly nodded. He turned to his hyungs. "It's okay. I'll hold it. Don't worry." Taemin figured that now was a time for him to be brave. Right now, he was failing. With his shaky hands, he slowly grabbed the object, as if it would burn his skin. He held the phone for a while, staring at it before deciding to put the phone in the hood of his sweater. Taemin looked at the man, who gave him a proud smirk.

"The police are still on the line," the man continued to explain. "They're tracing our call right now, okay? They'll send help soon."

"Okay," Taemin whispered, hoping the police would come soon enough.

"Taemin," Key said. "Give me the phone. I'll hold it."

Taemin shook his head. "It's okay, Key. I got it." He sent a reassuring smile Key's way.

The rapper wasn't convinced. Key shook his head as he held out a hand. "Give it to me," he commanded in a stronger, more threatening voice. "Now."

Taemin shook his head once again. "Those guys have already gotten mad at you once," he reminded Key. "If he catches you with this who knows what they'll do to you. I won't let them happen."

Key sighed. "Lee Taemin-"

"No," he said, crossing his arms over his chest, forcing the discussion to end there. 

Key sighed again. "Just please be careful, okay?" he practically begged, earning a nod from Taemin.

Dae Jung appeared, pointing to the man next to Taemin. 

Taemin could feel his heart beat going faster and faster, but he forced himself to keep his cool, afraid of giving himself away. He took a few deep breaths before Dae Jung started talking to the other man.

"Hey you," Dae Jung said. "Neither of your bosses are answering. Care to explain?"

Taemin's eyes widened. This man worked for the bank?

"I-I don't know," the man answered. He sighed. "Look. Just take me back there and let me call one of them. Give me back my phone. They always answer when I call."

Taemin gave the man a confused look. 

Dae Jung sighed. "I'll be back," he told the man, glaring at him before taking his leave.

The man turned to Taemin with a half smile on his face. "Because of work, I have to have two phones," he quickly explained.

"So you work here?" Taemin asked.

The man shrugged. "They just kind of know me here." He smiled. "By the way, I'm Chung Hee."

"Nice to meet you," Taemin said with a small smile. "I...I guess you already know who I am."

Chung Hee nodded. "Of course I do." He smiled. "Thanks again for hiding my phone."

"It's no problem," Taemin replied. He felt his blood freeze at the sight of Dae Jung returning. Taemin and Chung Hee suddenly became silent. The last thing they wanted was for him to accuse them of planning an escape. Though it was true, it would also.get them killed before the police came.

"Follow me," Dae Jung commanded Chung Hee. 

Chung Hee slowly stood up. He stole a glance at Taemin, winking at him before following Dae Jung.

Once Minho saw that Dae Jung had left, he crawled over next to Taemin, stealing Chung Hee's old spot. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked the younger one.

Taemin nodded. "Don't worry," he said. "I won't get caught."

Minho just eyed him. "Give it to me," he said, holding out his hand.

Taemin sighed, holding the urge to roll his eyes. Didn't his hyungs understand that Taemin didn't want them risking their lives for him. "Not you too," he whined. "You yelled at the robbers, and they're still probably pissed at that. Don't worry about me." Taemin looked over to where Onew was sitting. His was leaning on the wall, a deep sigh would escape his lips every once in a while. Jonghyun and Key were currently checking on the leader again. "How is he?" Taemin asked in concern.

Minho shrugged. "He said it doesn't hurt anymore," he answered. 

"Do you believe him?" Taemin asked.

Minho shook his head. "But it's not too serious, I assume," he responded. "He'll just have a bad head ache for a while. Poor guy." Minho sighed.

"Hey," Key suddenly said, getting everyone's attention. "Do you hear that?"

Taemin and Minho stopped and listened, trying to see what it was Key heard. When Minho realized what it was, his eyes widened.

_Sirens._

"Is that really...?" Taemin trailed off in disbelief. It looks like Chung Hee's phone call worked. A smile started to appear on Taemin's face, but it quickly disappeared upon seeing the return of Young Soo, Dae Jung, and Jae Hwa. A confused look appeared on Taemin's face. Where was Chung Hee? They didn't hear any gunshots, which meant they couldn't have killed him. Taemin shrugged it off, thinking that the other man was probably still on the phone with the bank managers.

A smirk appeared on Young Soo's face. "Looks like police are here," he announced to the crowd of hostages, as if they didn't know. The look on his face was too confident, as if he was glad that the police had shown up.

Despite all that, the boys of SHINee felt a sliver of hope building inside of them. Maybe this could still be taken as a good sign. With the police here, they were one step closer to safety. They could almost taste their freedom.

"Uh, sir!" Chung Hee's voice called out from the back. "The phone's ringing."

Young Soo looked over to where Chung Hee stood, a look of annoyance clearly written on the robber's face. He knew it was the police calling. Who else would it be? "Did you get in touch with any of your managers?" he asked Chung Hee as he approached him. 

Chung Hee nodded. "I got the assistant manager," he announced, making his way toward the rest of the hostages. He took his spot close to SHINee once again. "She's on her way here."

Young Soo didn't reply. He simply approached the ringing phone and answered it. "What?" he asked harshly. "I only want one person walking into this bank. You'll know who she is when she gets here. Until then, stay out, or bullets will go flying." He hung up the phone.

Taemin swallowed. These robbers have killed already, which meant that they wouldn't be afraid to do it again. Police or not.

Young Soo appeared before all of the hostages. "I know we took up all of the cell phones," he said, pacing his way back and forth. "Anyone want to tell us how the police were so quick in getting here?"

There was a long, painful pause. No one dared to speak in their defense.

"We can do this the hard way, or the easy way," Young Soo said, fiddling with his gun.

Chung Hee glanced over at Taemin, a gesture the maknae didn't seem to notice.

Of course, no one had to say anything a few seconds later, when the sound of a cell phone started to go off.

All eyes turned to Taemin.

"I knew it," Young Soo said as he approached Taemin.

Taemin scoot back until his back was pressed against the wall. He was panicked and had no idea what to do. Taemin hadn't felt this scared before. Now that the robbers found out his secret, he knew what would happen next.

"Get up," Young Soo commanded as he grabbed Taemin's arm, forcing the younger one to stand. His finger nails were digging into Taemin's skin.

"Don't!" Minho yelled. "It's my phone!" He was trying to make himself sound strong and convincing, but Minho was so panicked that he couldn't hear his shrill, shaking voice.

Taemin turned to look at Minho with a scared expression. "Hyung!" Taemin yelled. "Don't do this, please!"  _Don't try to take the fall for me. I can't let you._

Young Soo ignored the banter between the two. "Where is it?" he asked, sending chills down Taemin's spine.

Taemin reached for his hood, pulling out the ringing phone, which Young Soo snatched.

"That's not his!" Key yelled.

"You personally took all our cell phones!" Jonghyun added. "You know that's not his!"

Young Soo smirked. "Then whose is it?" he asked, not really caring to hear what they had to say.

Taemin swallowed, looking over at his band mates. Would telling the truth be the right thing to do? If he didn't speak up, he'd get killed. If he  _did_ speak up, Chung Hee would get killed. Taemin felt torn.

"Just tell him, Min!" Onew commanded. There was no way he'd let his maknae take the fall for this

Taemin bit his lip putting his shaky hands in his pocket. "Ch-Chung Hee gave it to me."

The man looked to Chung Hee before a scoff escaped his lips. "You idols are all the same, huh?" he asked, unamused. "Always willing to throw the little people under the bus."

"He's not lying!" Minho argued. He looked over to Chung Hee. "Tell them!" 

Chung Hee looked to Young Soo before shaking his head. "I don't know what they're talking about," he lied.

Taemin's eyes widened, suddenly feeling betrayed.

"Taemin," Young Soo said. "You remember what happened to the last hostage who tried calling the cops, right?"

Key's heart stopped beating after hearing that question. "Chung Hee 's lying!" he cried out. "That's not Taemin's phone! Don't hurt him, please!" he begged, feeling his eyes watering with tears. Taemin couldn't get killed because of Chung Hee.

Young Soo looked over to Key. "He broke the rules," he said. "He should be punished for it don't you think?" He pulled out his gun and aimed it at Taemin's head. He could see that all of Taemin's hyungs were about to make a move in effort to save him. Young Soo wouldn't allow that. "Make a move and a bullet goes straight through his brain."

The four others looked at the man in horror.

"He's just a kid!" Onew yelled. "You can't hurt him. Chung Hee used him!"

Jonghyun looked to Taemin. Tears were running down the maknae's face as he stood helplessly as he practically waited for his execution.

So this was it? He'd die like this?

Taemin always imagined his death being more peaceful. He'd die of old age, happy. After being married to his wife for over sixty years and having beautiful kids and grandchildren, he'd die with a smile on his face.

He wasn't supposed to die like this.

"You boys are really testing my patience," Young Soo said in annoyance. "Consider this a warning," he said as he lowered his gun, causing Onew, Minho, Key, and Jonghyun to all release a sigh of relief. 

"But then again," Young Soo said suddenly, earning SHINee's full attention once again. "You've received several warnings already so..."

His words were interrupted by the sound of his own gunshot, and Taemin dropping to the floor.

"TAEMIN! NO!" Key yelled.


	4. Chapter 4

When Key was labeled the "umma" of SHINee, he didn't really care. If anything, he thought he earned that title fair and square. He loved taking care of his brothers, no matter how hard it was.

Taemin was the youngest, and Key would treat him as such. He didn't care if he was overprotective of the maknae. Key loved Taemin like a little brother. He didn't care how much he spoiled Taemin because he loved doing it.

Onew would always show concern for Key. Onew thought that Key was pushing himself, trying to take care of his four other members before remembering to take care of himself. Of course, every time the leader would bring that up, Key would argue with Onew, telling the leader that everything he was saying was just nonsense and that there was no need to worry about anything,

As long as his brothers were okay, Key was okay.

Which was why Key felt like he had lost all strength the minute he saw Young Soo point his gun at Taemin. 

Time seemed to have stopped as Key watched with wide eyes. He heart began beating faster and the room started to spin. Key's entire body went numb, he couldn't feel anything but the horrid panic rising in his chest. Onew's screams sounded muffled and distant to Key. All Key could focus was Taemin, and what could be his last seconds alive.

These shouldn't be Taemin's last seconds alive.

When Young Soo brought the gun down, Key released a breath he didn't even realize he was holding. 

But his celebration didn't last long as Young Soo brought the gun back up and shot Taemin anyway. The sound of the gunshot rang in Key's ears as he watched Taemin, the boy he had sworn to protect and love with everything he had, fall to the ground in slow motion as the bullet finally hit him. Once Key was finally able to register everything that had happened, that this was reality and not some sick nightmare, he screamed.

"TAEMIN! NO!" Key yelled as he watched Taemin curl into himself. The maknae was clutching his left shoulder in complete agony as the blood seeped through his fingers. The maknae's face was scrunched up in pain as his grip on his shoulder became tighter and tighter. 

As if on instinct, Key stripped off his own jacket and bunched it into a ball, placing it on Taemin's wound. Key didn't hear Young Soo taunting them, telling them to consider themselves "lucky". He hadn't noticed when Minho, Onew, and Jonghyun had gathered around. All Key could hear was Taemin moaning in pain.

"Taemin," Key said, his voice still giving away how panicked he was. "Taemin. Look at me."

Taemin struggled to obey. Though his eyes were glazed over in pain, he tried his best to focus on Key's gaze. "Umma," he said in a whine.

Key felt a sudden pain in his heart. He knew what that meant. It was if Taemin was begging him to take the pain away. Make the agony stop. Key had never felt so helpless in his life.

Jonghyun started running his fingers through Taemin's hair. "Taemin," he choked. "I'm so sorry."

Onew grabbed Taemin's hand, squeezing it tight. He wanted Taemin to focus on something else. Focus on the sound of the sirens outside. Focus on the weird flickering light a few feet away. Focus on his hyungs. Focus on anything besides the pain he was feeling right now. Focus on anything besides the horrible predicament they had gotten into.

Once the shock had begun to fade, Minho felt nothing but anger taking its place. He turned to face Chung Hee. "You liar!" he yelled at the older man before grabbing his collar. "What kind of coward are you? You'd let a kid take the blame for this?"

Chung Hee scoffed. "Your friend could have said no, couldn't he?" he challenged, feeling no regret whatsoever. "I didn't force him to take anything."

Minho clenched his fingers into a fist. He was ready to strike. How dare Chung Hee say something like that.

"Minho," Jonghyun said weakly, putting a hand on the younger one's shoulder. "N-not now. Please."

Minho's fist was still in the air as he debated whether or not he should listen to his hyung.

After a few moments, Minho slowly put his fist down. He realized that more than anything, he needed to be with Taemin. Minho sent a glare towards Chung Hee before getting on the other side of Taemin, grabbing his other hand, though stained with blood.

"Minho Hyung," Taemin said weakly. "Are you okay?"

Minho was shocked at first. Why would Taemin ask a question like that? Of course he was okay. He hadn't been the one to be shot. He wasn't hurt. "Of course I'm fine," Minho finally answered. "You shouldn't worry about me." 

That was something Minho loved about Taemin. He was so selfless that it was almost sick. But Minho couldn't deny how cute he and the other hyungs thought it was.

"I don't want you getting in trouble because of me," Taemin replied to Minho, practically begging for Minho to calm down. "S-so don't fight Chung Hee. You don't know how the robbers will react."

Minho pursed his lips, understanding Taemin's concern. "Okay," he replied with a nod. The last thing he wanted was for Taemin to worry about him right now. 

Taemin looked to Key, who still had the same panicked expression on his face. "Hyung," he said. "It doesn't hurt that much anymore. I'll be okay."

Key swallowed, finding it hard to believe Taemin's statement. Taemin wouldn't be okay until they were finally released from this place. Taemin needed a hospital, no doubt. Without one, who knows how bad he'd get.

"How does it feel, Minnie?" Onew asked, a headache suddenly forming again. 

Taemin moaned. "Just a little numb," he answered.

Everyone could see right through Taemin's answer. It was obvious how much in pain Taemin still was. The maknae just didn't want his hyungs to be scared.

Key made sure that his sweater was pressed tightly against Taemin's wound. With the way things were looking now, he couldn't risk Taemin losing more blood than he should. 

"Aish, Taemin," Key said in frustration. "Why didn't you just give me the phone?" Key couldn't stop the tears from falling down his face. When he looked over to Jonghyun, he noticed Jonghyun was crying as well.

"Would you want me crying over you?" Taemin asked.

Key shook his head. "Of course not," he quickly answered. "But this shouldn't have happened to you. I'm so sorry."

Taemin looked into Key's eyes once again. He'd seen that look before. Key always had that look when he felt like he had let someone down. "It's okay," Taemin replied, a weak smile appearing on his face. "I'm actually okay. Like I said, I barely feel it anymore."

So what Taemin couldn't feel the gunshot anymore? It still wasn't stopping the blood spilling from his body.

"We'll be out soon," Onew promised, though he was unsure of himself. "The police are already here. These people can't hold us much longer."

"Hyung," Minho said in a low voice. "He's losing a lotta blood. What do we do?"

Key swallowed the huge lump in his throat. "Just make sure he doesn't fall asleep." He looked down to Taemin. "You hear that, Tae baby. Stay awake. Can you do that?"

Taemin nodded.

"Good boy," Key replied with a smile, though the smile wasn't the most sincere one he's ever shown.

Minho looked down at Taemin.  _Please don't close your eyes. I don't know if you'll wake up again. Taemin, you're strong. Please try to hold on until help comes. I know you can do it._

Jonghyun sighed. He started looking around the building. The other hostages were still sitting around, frightened looks still on their faces. The robbers were nowhere to be seen. Jonghyun just wanted to carry Taemin in his arms and quickly escape with the rest of his band.

But Jonghyun's shoulders slumped when he remembered that the doors were chained.

The phone started ringing again, cutting off Jonghyun from his racing thoughts. He heard Dae Jung answer the phone, and by the sound of his voice, Jonghyun was sure that it was the police again.

What surprised Jonghyun the must was when Dae Jung walked up to him, grabbing him, forcing him to stand. Jonghyun heard Key screaming again, fearing that Jonghyun was about to be shot as well. But they were all surprised when Dae Jung started talking.

"The police want to speak to you."

Jonghyun glanced at his band members before following Dae Jung to the back. Jonghyun put his shaky hands in his pockets as he walked. His heart was beating and his knees were wobbly, but he had to keep going.

"Speak," Dae Jung commanded, shoving a phone in Jonghyun's face. 

"H-hello?" Jonghyun answered once he accepted the phone. "U-um...I-I don't know. 20 maybe?" Jonghyun gulped, watching Dae Jung's hard stare. He didn't want to say the wrong thing in fear of getting in trouble. "Y-yes. Two people."

With that, Jonghyun started crying again. The police had asked if anyone had been shot, and that made Jonghyun worry about Taemin even more.

"O-one is alive," Jonghyun choked out. "But I don't know how long he'll last."


	5. Chapter 5

As much as Key hated these robbers, he was grateful that after a while he was at least allowed to get Taemin a cup of water to drink.

Key didn't care how much begging and crying he had to do. He threw all his pride aside when he noticed Taemin's weak body begin to shake. Onew and Jonghyun were able to help Taemin sit up, his entire weight leaning on Minho. The taller one didn't mind at all. As long as Taemin was comfortable, Minho was fine. All while trying to ignore Taemin's strangled cries of pain, they were able to use Key's sweater and turn it into a makeshift bandage for Taemin's shoulder, hoping that would slow the bleeding just until help was able to arrive. He was losing way too much blood in their opinion.

"Here's some water for you," Key said gently as he brought the small cup to Taemin's lips.

Taemin slowly raised his head from off Minho's shoulder before bringing up his shaky hand in an effort to hold the cup, but Key quickly swatted his hand away.

"Just relax," the umma commanded. "I've got you, okay?"

Taemin simply nodded before taking his sips from the cup.

"Is that better?" Minho asked quietly, gently bringing Taemin's head back on his shoulder and playing with the maknae's hair.

Taemin nodded. In all honesty, that tiny cup of water did nothing in his opinion. He still felt horrible. But he also didn't want to worry his hyungs anymore than they already were. They were bad enough as it is. Key looked like he was about to lose it. Minho looked like he would kill the next thing that moved. Jonghyun looked beyond nervous. And Onew looked as if he was mentally beating himself up over the whole thing.

Key brought a hand to Taemin's face, which he noticed was becoming a bit pale and cold. Key gave him a worried look, which everyone seemed to notice.

"Taeminnie," Onew said gently. "Are you really okay?" he asked. Of course, even if Taemin _wasn't_ okay, he couldn't do anything about it.

Taemin swallowed. _No I'm not okay. My shoulder's killing me. I feel dizzy and I'm scared to death._ "Y-yes Hyung," he finally answered, though feeling a bit guilty for lying. "I'm fine."

Onew looked at him skeptically before dropping the subject. Help would come soon enough. He was sure of it.

The boys, as well as the other hostages of the bank, jumped in fear as Young Soo slammed his fist on a teller's station in anger. The police had called once again, and it was obvious that the police were really testing his patience. "None of these people are leaving until I get what I want!" he yelled into phone, causing everyone to jump.

Key sent a worried look to Taemin.

As if Young Soo had read the diva's mind, he started speaking into the phone. "The SHINee boy is about to die anyway."

Minho started running his fingers through Taemin's hair, hoping the maknae hadn't heard that. When he heard Taemin release a soft whimper in fear, Minho started trying to comfort him even more. "He's lying," Minho whispered. "You're not going to die. He's just being a jerk."

 _That still doesn't take away from the fact that Taemin needs a hospital soon,_ Onew said to himself. He couldn't say it out loud, in fear of scaring any of his dongsaengs, but he also needed to be realistic.

Taemin wouldn't die. He can't die.

But who knows what would happen if Taemin didn't get the help he needed?

"If he ends up dead it'll be your fault instead of mine," Young Soo said into the phone, causing Taemin to tense up.

"Don't listen to what he has to say," Jonghyun said softly to Taemin. "You're not gonna die and that's the truth. We're your hyungs, we won't lie to you."

"Yeah you would," Taemin replied.

Jonghyun's eyes widened. "What?" he asked in disbelief. "When have we ever lied to you."

"You and Jinki told me that Key threw away my banana milk," Taemin answered. "I know you did it, though. You're such a bad liar."

Jonghyun scratched at his head, before he and Onew looked at each other guiltily. "Important things, Minnie," Jonghyun said. "We wouldn't lie to you about _important_ things."

"Banana milk's pretty important," Taemin repled, a small smile on his face. "You still owe me a new carton."

Onew sighed. "Okay Minnie," he began. "When we get out of here we're gonna get you _two_ cartons of milk," he promised, holding up two fingers to emphasize his point. "How does that sound?"

It seemed as if Taemin's smile got bigger. "I'm holding you to that promise," he replied.

Their short and happy moment ended when they found out that Young Soo had gotten off the phone and had approached them.

Taemin found himself subconsciously snuggling closer to Minho. The taller one held him in responsem, hoping to protect Taemin from this monster as much as possible.

Young Soo just laughed at the pathetic group of boys in front of him. "Looks like all of you will be here for a while."

Key swallowed. "Please," he spoke up. "Taemin's bleeding and he needs help. Even if you don't want anyone else to leave the bank, at least let him leave. He needs help," he said before sending another worried look to the maknae.

Young Soo shrugged. "He seems fine to me," he said.

Key felt his fingers curling into fists. He didn't expect Young Soo, or any of these robbers, to be the most caring people in the world, but he _did_ expect that they'd have _some_ type of human quality and show _some_ type of concern for Taemin. But Key could only guess that he had been asking for too much.

"He's not okay," Jonghyun spoke up, feeling Key would lose his temper and say the wrong thing if left up to himself. "He needs help and he's in pain."

Young Soo raised his gun, aiming it at Taemin once again. "I'll just take him out of his misery, then," he said.

"Are you insane?" Onew asked as he moved in front of Taemin, wanting to prevent the man from shooting Taemin _again_.

Taemin moved impossibly closer to Minho. At this point, Taemin was tired of seeing guns. He just wanted to be somewhere else right now. _Anywhere_ but here.

Young Soo scoffed. "If that kid dies," he said as he put his gun down. "Don't blame me."

Minho was holding Taemin tightly as Young Soo walked away.

Taemin moaned. "Hyung," he muttered. "It hurts."

Minho gasped in surprise once he realized what Taemin was talking about. Minho was holding Taemin too tight, pressing on his injured shoulder. He looked into Taemin's eyes, were tears of pain had quickly formed. "I'm so sorry, Minnie," he quickly apologized as he loosened his hold on him. "Does that feel better?" he asked.

Taemin nodded. "I'm sorry," he said. "It just really hurt."

"I know," Minho replied.

Key checked Taemin's bandaged shoulder. A little more blood had escaped, but not too much. "Don't worry, Tae baby. They're going to open that safe soon and get us outta here, okay?"

Taemin looked at Key with glazed eyes before nodding. "Okay," Taemin whispered in response.

Of course, it was then that Key's mind decided to play dirty tricks on him because suddenly, he couldn't help but wonder: Even if the robbers get what they want, what makes everyone so sure that they'll let the hostages go?

What made anyone sure that the hostages would be let out alive?


	6. Chapter 6

"Wake up, Tae," Minho gently commanded as he tapped Taemin's face. This was the third time Taemin had begun to fall asleep, and it was scaring his hyungs more and more.

Taemin groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. "Sorry," he muttered. Slowly blinking as he looked around the room. He started rubbing at his arms. "It's cold in here," he said. "Why's it so cold?"

Key sighed. This isn't the first time Taemin mentioned how cold it was. What worried Key the most is that temperature wise, he and the others felt fine. He knew Taemin was going into shock. Taemin had started shivering about thirty minutes ago, but his forehead was lightly covered with sweat. Black circles had formed under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept in ages.

"It's getting bad, isn't it?" Jonghyun whispered to Key, making sure Taemin wouldn't be able to hear him.

Key nodded, already knowing what he was talking about. "He feels colder every time I touch him," he said. "Taemin can't last much longer if we don't get help soon. He's still losing a lot of blood."

"Okay Tae," Onew said, snapping Key and Jonghyun from their conversation. "Let's play a game," he purposed, seeing as how Taemin looked to be on the verge of falling asleep again. He just had to keep Taemin talking. He also wanted to find a good distraction for the poor maknae.Taemin looked to the leader with curiosity before he continued. "We'll ask you questions, okay? You'll be given two choices and you gotta pick the one you like the most. You have to answer fast too. Think you can do that?"

With a small smile, Taemin nodded quickly.

"Okay," Onew began. "Coke or Pepsi?"

"Hmm Pepsi," Taemin answered.

"Okay. Winter or summer?" 

"Summer," Taemin answered.

Key, Jonghyun, and Minho looked at each other in realization once they figured out what Onew was trying to do.

"Chicken or beef?" Minho asked.

Taemin looked to Onew, a devious smile on his face. "Beef," he answered before sticking his tongue out at the leader.

"Japan or China?" This time from Jonghyun.

"Japan," Taemin answered before a painful moan escaped his lips. He squeezed his eyes shut, his head buried into Minho's shoulder.

"Taemin!" Onew called to the youngest one. The leader's eyes were wide with worry and his heart started beating a little faster. "What's wrong?"

Taemin moaned again. "Shoulder," he muttered. He opened his eyes and looked to Onew. "It's okay now, though."

"Try not to move it too much, okay baby?" Key commanded.

Taemin nodded. 

"How are you feeling now?" Jonghyun asked. 

"A little weird," Taemin answered before Minho started running his fingers through Taemin's hair. "And I'm really tired."

Jae Hwa approached the five of them, gun still in his hands, a blank on his face as he watched them, as if he were studying them.

"Don't you have something better to do?" Key snapped at the older man, not fearing, or even thinking about the consequences of losing his temper around these robbers. 

"I'm guessing you'll be the next person to get shot," the robber said. "Makes sense." Jae Hwa pointed his gun at Key, and smiled at the protective stance Jonhgyun had taken in front of Key. Jae Hwa shook his head. "You all keep screwing up," he noticed. "But you think you don't deserve the punishment that comes your way. What do you suppose we do about that?"

"You can start with Chung Hee," Minho suggested with all seriousness. He wanted them to make Chung Hee suffer. He wanted them to make him bleed painfully and slowly, and his last breathes would be used to apologize to Taemin and beg for forgiveness. 

Jae Hwa sighed. "We haven't gotten what we came for," he said, sounding disappointed. "It's almost time for another example."

The boys instantly knew what he meant be "example". That's all the hostages were to them. They weren't victims. They weren't humans. They were examples of what happens when those three men didn't get what they wanted. 

They all heard Taemin take a shaky breath, causing all of them to turn and face him. 

"Please wake up, Tae," Minho begged, shaking the younger.

"You promised you'd stay awake for us," Key said, hoping he could guilt Taemin into waiting it out a little longer. But deep down he knew that Taemin would become too weak, and that no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't be able to stay conscious.

Taemin swallowed. "Am...am I going to die?" He asked, causing his hyungs to give him shocked looks.

"Of course not," Onew answered. "You'll be fine. Don't be such a drama queen, " he added, hoping to lighten the mood.

Taemin smiled, before his expression turned serious again. "What if I do?"

Jonghyun smiled. "You won't," he promised. "Not with us around." 

Taemin didn't say anything. His eyes widened as he saw what was happening on the other side of the bank.

Jae Hwa had chosen their next "example".

Before they could figure out what was troubling the maknae, his four hyungs heard the sound of a loud gunshot, followed by the thud of a body hitting the floor. 

A bank teller laid on the ground, a gunshot wound straight to his chest. He was dead on the spot.

Jae Hwa looked to Key, eyeing him cockily as if to send a message.

_"You're next."_

Key swallowed thickly, turning away from the man in order to tend to Taemin. 

They were going to be saved soon, because there was no way one of them was going to die.


	7. Chapter 7

"Here, Minnie," Key said, unwrapping a piece of candy from his pocket. "Have some candy, okay?" He placed the candy into Taemin's mouth, who weakly started chewing it.

"Thank you," Taemin said weakly. He swallowed thickly. He was surprised he was able to keep anything, even that small piece of candy, down. Everything he had seen at the bank today was enough to make him sick. 

How did they even end up here? It was just a normal trip to the bank. Taemin couldn't understand what made today any different. They should be at home right now, not stuck at a bank and fighting for their lives. He let out a sigh. Guess it could happen to anyone. The fact that they were idols didn't save them; if anything it made their situation even worse.

An alarmed look appeared on Minho's face as Taemin groaned in discomfort. "Tae," he said in a panic. "Are you okay? Am I hurting you again?"

Taemin squeezed his eyes shut as he shook his head. "Just hurts a little."

"On a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?" Onew asked.

After a long pause, Taemin finally spoke. "Three," he answered.

"Taemin," Jonghyun said, knowing that Taemin was telling far from the truth. "You've been shot. We know you're lying."

Another long pause, his mind trying to process everything being said to him. Thinking was even becoming hard for him. Taemin swallowed. "Honestly...it's an eleven right now."

The hyungs all shared worried glances at each other. The maknae was hurt that bad and he still tried to not let them worry about him. Honestly, how did he do it?

There was noise coming from the back. The sound of metal.

"They got the safe open," Minho guessed in a whisper.

Everyone's eyes widened. That meant they were closer to safety, and then Taemin could get the help he needed. 

While Minho, Jonghyun, and Onew were mentally rejoicing, Key's hands had been shaking. He couldn't understand why. A weird feeling was building up in his chest as he looked to Taemin.

Taemin was shaking, fighting off the cold, but his forehead was covered with a thin layer of sweat. He was pale, and his breath was shaky and weak.

Key felt his eyes watering as a horrible thought of Taemin crossed his mind.

He was dying. His maknae was actually dying.

Key let out a sharp sob as he watched Taemin's eyes begin to flutter closed again. "Tae!" Key called to the maknae to wake him up. He brought his hands to Taemin's cheeks, cupping the maknae's face in his hands. He got closer to Taemin, their foreheads almost touching. He looked into Teamin's glazed eyes. "We're almost out of here, Tae," he said. "You just need to hang on a little longer."

Key was right in front of Taemin; a distance of only a few centimeters away.

But it looked like Taemin was having a hard time finding where Key's voice was coming from. 

"Umma," Taemin muttered.

Key nodded, a weak smile on his face as a tear fell from his eye. "Yeah, Tae baby," he responded. "It's me." 

"Everything will be fine," Taemin replied. "Don't cry."

Key shook his head. "I'm not crying," he lied. "You know me better than that. Jjong is the crier, not me."

"Liar," Jonghyun responded. 

Taemin smiled. An action so simple, yet it seemed like it had taken so much energy from him. "Then make sure he doesn't cry either."

"Taemin-ah," Onew said, his voice was even becoming shaky with the threat of crying. "Don't talk like this. You make it sound as if-" he cut himself off from finishing. Taemin was talking as if he were dying, and Onew didn't want to hear it.

Minho started running his fingers through Taemin's hair. The maknae looked so fragile. He couldn't stand the sight of it. "They've opened the safe," he whispered to him, making sure to speak slowly. "You'll be out of here soon."

"W-with all of you?" Taemin asked after a while.

Jonghyun smiled. "Of course, Minnie."

A new voice interrupted their peaceful moment.

"Looks like today is your lucky day," Young Soo said proudly. 

"Are you gonna let him go now?" Onew asked, his demeanor changing to an angry one upon the older man's arrival. 

A smirk appeared on Young Soo's face. "I have a good mind to kill you boys."

"The police aren't gonna let you walk outta here alive," Key warned him. "You've already killed hostages. They won't take that lightly."

Young Soo scoffed. "Then maybe I should make my last kill worth it."

"Stop it," Jonghyun demanded. "Why are you always threatening us?" 

"Why did you boys try causing so much grief for the other hostages?" Young Soo countered.

Taemin moaned. "Please...don't hurt them," he begged Young Soo weakly. 

Young Soo looked at the pitiful boy, no feeling of guilt or sympathy rising within him. "You don't have any rights to make demands."

"He's not demanding anything!" Key yelled. "He's here asking for one thing while fighting for his life! The least you could do is pretend to care!"

Young Soo gave Key an angry look. "I shoulda shot you when I had the chance."

Key wasn't afraid. He was pissed. Young Soo's comment didn't phase him one bit.

"Umma," Taemin whined. Even with his foggy mind, he knew well enough that he could have angered Young Soo even more.

Young Soo raised his gun, pointing it at Key. "I've had it with you," he said.

Key froze. He didn't know if he should be scared or relieved. Young Soo was ready to kill, but emotionally, Key felt nothing. Instead, he closed his eyes, waiting for the bullet to end him.

He heard a gunshot, but didn't feel anything either. He heard Onew gasping in surprise.

Puzzled, Key slowly opened his eyes to figure out what happened.

Young Soo laid on the ground, a pool of blood forming around from a wound from his head. Shatters of glass were now all over the floor.

The police had finally saved them.

Key, as well as Onew, Jonghyun, and Minho, looked to Taemin, ready to rejoice.

But their faces dropped.

Taking a few tired breaths, Taemin slowly closed his eyes.

"Taemin!" Minho yelled, shaking the maknae in hopes of getting a response from him.

This couldn't be happening, not while they were so close to getting out of here.

"Wake up, Minnie," Key pleaded. "Please wake up. They finally saved us."

No one cared that help had finally come. No one cared that Young Soo was finally dead.

Taemin needed to wake up. Nothing else mattered to them other than seeing Taemin open his eyes again.


	8. Chapter 8

Key lost his mind several times today.

When Taemin got shot, Key lost his mind. When Taemin finally went unconscious, Key lost his mind. When he watched as Taemin's almost lifeless body was put on a stretcher, Key definitely lost his mind.

But now, sitting in the hospital waiting room as they all waited for news on Taemin, Key was sure that this time, he was _definitely_ losing it.

By the looks of his other members, Key wasn't the only one who was going mental. Onew was breaking down, pacing the hospital floor as tears streamed heavily down his face. He'd do that for a few minutes before collapsing, crying into his hands. Minho, who was usually calm given any situation, was sitting in a chair, almost completely paralyzed. His eyes were wide, he was constantly wringing his hands. A few tears would fall from his eyes every once in a while, but that was enough to signify how broken he was at the moment.

He felt someone tenderly wrap his arm around his shoulders, and Key leaned into the person, seeking some sort of solace.

Something to keep him from going insane.

"Tae's gonna be fine," Jonghyun whispered. 'He's been through a lot today but he'll be fine. I just know it."

Key sighed, feeling his eyes water at the very mention of Taemin's name.

"I asked him to give me the phone," Key muttered. "If he had given me the phone, none of this would have happened."

Jonghyun looked at Key, a shocked expression etched on his face. "Don't be ridiculous, Kibum!" he replied. "Those robbers hated you more than anyone else. If they had caught you with that phone, they would have killed you for sure. How do you think Taemin would feel about that? He'd never recover from that guilt."

Key sighed. He knew Jonghyun was right. Taemin would probably hate himself if Key had died in his place. But at the same time, Key was hating himself now. As selfish as it may seem, he would rather be dead right now instead of knowing that Taemin was hurt because he was too helpless to do anything.

He just wanted to know if Taemin was okay right now. Was Taemin still in pain right now?

Most importantly, how would this effect Taemin in the future?

Would his shoulder heal correctly? Would he have nightmares about what happened today?

Would he be mad at his hyungs for not protecting him like they had always promised they would?

"Family of Lee Taemin," a voice announced, causing the four remaining SHINee members to shoot up, crowding around the doctor that had arrived. The first thing they noticed was that he didn't had a solemn look on his face, and that always had to be a good sign, right?

"How is he?" Onew quickly asked, desperate to see his maknae.

The doctor's expression brightened a bit. "Taemin is doing fine now. He lost a lot of blood, but we were able to stabilize him."

Key swallowed nervously. "So...he's okay?"

The doctor nodded. "He's one lucky boy," he replied. "Strong, too."

Taemin's hyungs smiled proudly.

"Can we see him?" Onew asked.

"Yes," the older man answered. "He's still asleep because the medication we gave him was quite strong, but he should wake up soon. I can lead you to where he is."

* * *

For the past forty five minutes, everyone had crowded around Taemin's bedside, watching and waiting for him to wake up. Onew was gently holding his hand, subconsciously using his thumb to rub circles into Taemin's good hand, Taemin's other arm was put in a sling. Key would occasionally run his fingers through Taemin's hair.

Besides Taemin's hurt shoulder, he looked perfect.

Minho was watching Taemin closely. The last thing the maknae saw before he closed his eyes was Young Soo recieving a bullet through his brain from a police sniper. He was worried Taemin would wake up in a panic, completely disoiented. What if he was scared when he woke up?

Minho shook his head. He couldn't let that happen. Taemin was supposed to feel safe around them. Taemin was never supposed to be afraid when he was around his hyungs.

A small groan came from the bed, causing everyone to jump out of their thoughts and turn to face the maknae. His eyes were struggling to open, but that was a good sign, at least.

"Minnie?" Jonghyun asked as he anxiously waited for Taemin to completely wake up.

Taemin's eyes opened a little further, enough for him to see where he was. He looked around the room, sighing in relief upon seeing that his hyungs were with him. "We...we're safe?" he asked weakly, his voice still a bit scratchy.

"Yeah, baby," Key answered. "We're safe... _you're_ safe."

"The other two robbers were arrested," Jonghyun announced. "An ambulance showed up shortly after you passed out." Jonghyun sighed. He was still a bit in shock after everything they had been through. Watching his maknae bleed out wasn't an easy sight.

"Those people," Taemin began, swallowing thickly. "No one had to die."

Onew and Jonghyun shared a worried look. There was another thing they forgot to think about.

Survivor's guilt, and they were sure that Taemin had developed plenty.

"Don't think about that right now," Minho said softly, almost pleading. He reached down to wipe a stray tear that fell from Taemin's eye. "We're just glad we have you, okay?"

Taemin nodded. "I was scared," he admitted.

Onew nodded. "We all were, Tae," he replied. "But you have got to be the bravest person I've ever met. You stayed strong the whole time and we're proud of you for that."

Taemin weakly smiled at Onew. "Does that mean I still get my banana milk?" he asked. causing Onew to smile as well.

"From now on," Onew began. "You an have as much banana milk as you want," he promised. As long as Taemin stayed with them, he could get whatever he wanted from now on. Onew would move heaven and earth if needed just to make Taemin's wish possible.

"But don't you ever scare us like this again, Lee Taemin!" Key commanded.

"What's the fun in that?" Taemin joked, a small smile on his face.

"Silly boy," Onew said with a smile, glad that Taemin seemed to be bouncing back just fine.

"Seriously," Taemin said after a while. "Thank you all for saving me."

"We didn't do anything," Onew replied as he shook his head. "Thank you for staying with us." He bent down, kissing the maknae's forehead. "We love you, okay?"

Taemin smiled.

Onew, Jonghyun, Key, and Minho smiled at the sight. Taemin was still here with them, even after everything that happened.

All of their worries seemed to vanish as they looked at Taemin's innocent face. After everything, he still cared about his hyungs and the other hostages they were trapped with.

Taemin may have gained a physical scar from the robbery, but they were all relieved when they realized that no matter what, Taemin would be just fine.


End file.
